Featured Events

RJ Digital

Digital Running Journal
This digital edition is free for subscribers of the print edition of Running Journal. To maintain free access, you must be a subscriber to the print edition of Running Journal. By subscribing, you also receive our Racing South email newsletters and have complete access to our website. To subscribe. Click Here.

TAMPA, Fla. – The Publix Gasparilla Half Marathon kicks off the 2018 PRRO Circuit racing season on Sunday, February 25. The 14th edition will offer a U.S.-only prize purse totaling $30,000 that goes 5-deep ($8000, $3500, $2000, $1000 and $500) as well as a local purse of $10,000. In addition, the race winners are eligible for the final two qualifying spots for the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus at the 23rd PRRO Championship, hosted for the first time by Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile on Sunday, April 8 in Washington, DC.

“We’re excited to include the Publix Gasparilla Half Marathon on the PRRO Circuit for the first time,” said PRRO President Don Kardong. “The Tampa organization is top-notch and we expect tremendous racing competition at the event.”

In February 2017, the Publix Gasparilla Half Marathon in Tampa, FL joined the PRRO Circuit 2017-18 to become the 5th Circuit event member. The half marathon is one of the four events of Publix Gasparilla Distance Classicweekend – a 15K and 5K are held on Saturday and the half marathon and an 8K are held on Sunday – that draws more than 30,000 participants to downtown Tampa.

The Publix Gasparilla Half Marathon is run on a fast, flat and beautiful USATF-certified course that includes quaint waterfront neighborhoods, the iconic Bayshore Boulevard that borders Tampa Bay, and if the timing is right, the dawn arrival of one of Tampa’s cruise lines. Last year’s race champions were Christo Landry and Stephanie Bruce, clocking 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds (an event record) and 1:12:53, respectively.

The 45th Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile on April 2, 2017 opened the PRRO Circuit 2017-18. The PRRO Circuit showcases world class competition at 5 classic American road race events shorter than the marathon distance and features more than $340,000 in prize money overall with $124,700 available for U.S. athletes. The annual international spring road race will also host the 2018 PRRO Championship race on April 8.

At the PRRO Championship, reigning champions and any athlete who has won one of the 2017-18 Circuit events are eligible for the $10,000 PRRO Super Bonus, which is awarded to the winner of the 2018 PRRO Championship (split if an eligible male and female win the PRRO titles). Those aforementioned runners are also eligible for the PRRO Event Champion’s Bonus ($1500 cumulative for eligible athletes who do not win the PRRO Championship but do place in the top 10 at the PRRO Championship). Any athlete who wins the PRRO Super Bonus is not eligible for the PRRO Event Champion’s Bonus.

If the male and female winners of the PRRO Championship have not won any of the events on the current Circuit, they will win $2500 each as the PRRO Circuit champions in addition to the prize money at the PRRO Championship event.

PRRO Circuit events have produced 17 world and 17 U.S. road records, awarded more than $7.1 million in prize money and seen more than 2.3 million runners cross their finish lines. In addition, since 1996, the PRRO Championship race has paid out more than $1.7 million including $134,500 in PRRO Championship bonus money.

The PRRO Circuit, a long-time pioneer and champion of a clean sport, has funded drug testing at its events since 2006. During the 2016-17 season, USADA conducted more than 50 in-competition tests and an undisclosed number of pre-competition tests.

PRRO Championship and Circuit Year

The PRRO Circuit, launched in 1995, rotates among the PRRO Circuit races with the Circuit Year starting and finishing at the same event. The winners of 2017 PRRO Championship at the EQT Pittsburgh 10 Miler as well as the event winners on the 2017-18 Circuit serve as Super Bonus qualifiers for the PRRO final at the 2018 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile.

Visit PRRO.org for more information including its history as well as how to join the PRRO Circuit.